Category: Health

If you’re a parent with a kid that has a chronic illness, there’s a good chance you spend a lot of time in your car traveling to doctor appointments. We’re blessed to live in an area with some of the best medical facilities in the country nearby. This week I had to take my own daughter to Johns Hopkins for an appointment with her hematologist. On a good day, we can do the trip in an hour. This time we …

My daughter has had to battle many health challenges most of her life. I’ve had my own share of those challenges as well over the years. I know so many people deal with these issues on a daily basis and most of us have no idea that those people are battling anything. Here are some important things I’ve learned over the years if you’re trying to manage a chronic illness: You are not your illness. While it may bring …

(A.K.A. Own Your Health Without Letting it Own You) I’ve got to get this off my chest. When you’ve got something wrong with your physical health and have these weird, uncomfortable symptoms day in and day out, you want to know why. I’ve recently heard of several different friends that have been diagnosed and their well-intentioned friends, relatives or, even worse, medical practitioners have told them to ignore their diagnosis. That somehow by acknowledging your condition you are giving this condition …

So proud of my gorgeous daughter who used her photography skills and made this picture for Invisible Illness awareness. Be sure to take a good look at the picture, read the words. It starts with quotes about survivors overcoming hardships, goes into symptoms, then disease names and finally common things that people with invisible illnesses hear from well-meaning friends and family. Read, ponder and share. (Link to her original blog post below.) …

Wait…what? You’ve never heard of Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome (MALS)? Neither had I until two months ago when my daughter was diagnosed. She’s had digestive health issues most of her life including Celiac disease, chronic abdominal pain, and most recently diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). She’s been treated by some of the best gastro doctors in the U.S. and we finally started unraveling the mystery when we took her to a world renowned cardiologist that specializes in POTS. …

We all experience it one time or another…..that feeling that we’ve taken on too much. It’s not a good feeling to have nor is it healthy for you, mentally or physically. So what can you do when you get to this place? How can you regain “control” of your life? There are several things you can do. I’m sharing what I’ve found to be most effective for me in my personal circumstances. 1. Write …